Curtain-fastener



E. F. SCHOELL.

CURTAIN FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I7. 1919.

1,322, l 40s Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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EUGENE FRANK SCHOELL, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

CURTAIN-FASTENER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed March 17, 1919. :Serial No. 283,172.

1917, (Patent No. 1,312,138, dated August 5, 9

The invention consists in a curtain fastener stud member whlch 1s resilient throughout, and a housing in which it has relative movement under such restraints as vto cause it to function properly, or, in other words, to prevent it from improperly functioning, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 vis a plan view of one of my improved curtain fasteners in use kfor holding a curtain in place. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the socket member shown in Fig. 1, on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stud member; Fig. 4 is an end elevation, and Fig. 5 isa side elevation of said stud member. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank for the spring portion of the stud. Fig. 7

is a plan view of the blank for the housing. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 ofFig. 3, on a larger scale. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of stud member having an auxiliary spring. Fig. 11 is a plan view, on the same scale asFig. 3, of another modifiedV form of stud member; Fig. 12 is a bottom view; Fig. 13 is an end elevation; and Fig. 14 is a side elevation of said stud member. Fig. 15 is a plan view of the blank for the housing. Fig. 16 is a plan view of the blank for the spring member of the modification .shown in Figs. 11 to 14. Fig. 17 is acrosssection, on a larger scale, on line 17-17 of Fig. 11. Fig. 18 is a longitudinal section .on the line 18-18 of Fig. l1. Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section correspondingto Fig. 18, of another modified form of stud mem- Connecticut, have in` spring, being otherwise constructed generally after the manner of the stud member shown in the'said Fig. 18..

My improved curtain fastener comprises a socket member 10 adapted to be secured to the curtain 11, and having an opening 12 for operatively receiving the head portion 13 of the coperating stud member 14, the said socket member being of ordinary form and corresponding substantially in form to that shown and described in the application referred to, the said coperating or mating stud-member 14 being of special form, as will be described.

The stud member 14 is composed of two parts, namely, the spring member 15 that comprises as part of its structure the head vkportion 13, and the `.housing structure 16, of shell-like form, that incloses a part of the .spring member 15.

Thespringmember 15 is formed from a single piece 'of/strip sheet material, generally afterthe manner of the stud member shown in the application,mentioned, being a symmetrical structure. The end portions 17 of the strip are positioned in spaced relation and in opposition one to the other so as kto form the head portion 13; the middle portion18 is extended lat right angles to the axis of the head portion 13, in such way as to serve as the base; and a pair of connecting portions 19 intermediate the base 18 and the end portions 17, same being connected with the base 18 bv the return bends 20 and ,with the end portions 17 Vby the approximately right-angled bends 21. n

The side member 17 are slit transversely and'swaged to form the overhanging lugs 32, on the outer side in each case, for en gaging with the edges of the opening 12 in the socket member 10 when the parts are 1n kthe engaged position, as in the earlier case on any part of the spring member 14, and the holes 22 referred to serve merely as clearance holes for the screws.

It will be further noted that the connecting members 19 that support the end portions 17 are normally positioned in spaced relation to the base 18, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 9, and these parts are sprung toward one another as the members 17 are pressed together to effect engagement with and disengagement from the socket member 10.

Because of the conditions described, the resiliency of substantially all of the material of the spring member 14 is available and comes into play in the operation of my device.

The members 17 are provided at their lower ends, adjacent to the junctions 21 with the connecting members 19, with pairs of lugs 24:, that are rentrant or project toward one another inwardly within the space 25 between the two members 17, and these lugs 24: are overhung by suitable restraining devices, such as lugs 26 that are integral with the side edges of the material of the base 18, as will be noted from the view of the blank shown in Fig. 6. These lugs 2-1 and 26 serve to limit the outward spring movement of the members 17 under normal conditions, and also serve to prevent damage by violent action due to catching accidentally in operation the said members 17 in such a manner as to be liable to unduly separate them and thus rupture the parts.

The housing 16 fits snugly around the stud head and incloses and conceals those parts that are below the head, said parts including the base 18 and the connecting members 19; and this housing is of shell-like form and made of sheet material, the top portion or roof 27 having an opening 28 in the middle for the head and holes 29 at the sides for receiving the screws by which the stud member is supported in position, and the bottom being of skeleton form, formed by a plurality of wings 30 that are folded over so as to be opposed to the base 18.

The housing 16, as has been described, sustains the pressure of the holding screws, so as to leave the spring member free to operate at all times.

'In the structure shown in Fig. 10 an auxiliary spring 31 of U-shape is provided and so positioned that its arms coperate with the head members so as to tend to separate them, thus assisting the spring effect of the material of thestud member 14.

In ther devices shown in Figs. 11 to 19 inclusive, the limiting lugs or stop ylugs 26 for coperating with the lugs 24 on the members 17 are omitted, and in lieu thereof there is provided a bar 26a on the housing extending transversely thereof between the openings 28a that admit individually the members 17. i

Fig. 19 shows the stud of Figs. 11 to 18 provided with an auxiliary spring 31, as in the case of that shown in Fig. 10.

As already indicated, the resiliency of the entire spring element of which the h ead of the stud is a part, is available and utilized by the construction herein disclosed. The housing which incloses this element serves not only as the means for attaching the stud member to the support on which it is used, but it-also permits of the utilization of the entire resiliency referred to. This housing, moreover, incloses the stud member in such way as to permit it to be handled in the trade without liability of escape therefrom, and so that it, is assembled 'and ready at all times for application to the support. The lugs 211 and the transverse members 26 of the construction shown n Figs. 1 to 10 and the transverse member 26a of the construction shown in Figs. 11 to 19, constitute a means preventing undue strain being placed upon the head from tending to draw the head out of the housing or overcoming` its limit of resilience or rupturing it. In one case the transverse members 26 are on the spring element itself, and in the other case this transverse element 26a is on the housing, but in either case the operation is substantially the same.

What I claim is 1. A stud member of a curtain fastener, composed of a spring having in one piece a base, terminal bends rising from the base,

return bends extending from said terminalV bends and overlying the base and spaced apart from it, and socket-engaging head portions rising from the ends of said return bends and partaking of the resiliency of the base and bends, and means to secure the same to a support without interference with or limitation of the normal resiliency of the spring.

2. A stud member of a curtain fastener, comprising a spring element provided with a base, a head and portions spaced apart from the base and connecting the base and head, the constituent parts of the spring element being resilient, and a housing applied to and supporting the spring element and adapted to be secured to a support without interfering with the normal resilient action of the spring element.

3. A stud member of a curtain fastener, comprising a spring element provided with a base, a head and portions overlying the base and spaced apart from it and connecting the base and head, said spring element having an available resiliency coextensive with its length, and a housing applied to and supporting the spring element and adapted to be secured to a support without interfering with the normal -resiliency of the spring element.

e. A stud clement of a curtain fastener,

formed of a spring and having a head provided With rentrant lugs at its base, and a transverse lug-engaging element to limit the separation of the head elements.

5. A stud element of a curtain fastener, formed of a spring and having a head provided with rentrant lugs at its base, and a transverse lug engaging element to limit the separation of the head elements, and a housing in which the spring element is in part inolosed and by which the stud is adapted to be applied to a support.

6. A stud element of a curtain fastener, having a spring base and a divided head integral with said base and partaking of its resiliency, said head provided with lugs arranged at its bottoni and projecting toward one another, and a restraining device engaging said lugs and adapted to prevent un due separation of the head element.

7. A stud element of a curtain fastener, having a spring base and a divided head integral with said base and partaking of its stud to a supp resiliency, said head provided with lugs arranged at its bottom and proj eeting toward one another, and a housing for inolosing said spring structure provided with a crossbar with which the lugs cooperate, said housing serving also as a means for applying the ort.

S. A stud element of a curtain fastener, having a spring base and a divided head integral with said base and partaking of its resiliency, and a housing for inelosing said spring structure provided With a top portion and a bottom portion, the latter composed of a number of Wings folded over beneath the spring base.

9. A stud element of a curtain fastener, having a spring base and a divided head in tegral with said base and partaking of its resiliency, an auxiliary spring arranged within the head longitudinally, and a housing inelosing the said spring elements.

EUGENE FRANK SCHOELL. 

